Food preparing utensil



NOV. 26, 1940. R K|RHER 2,222,773

FOOD PREPARING U'IENSIL Filed Jan. 10, 1940 INVENTOR.

Ralph N.Kir:hsr x4, I.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 26, 1940 PATENT OFFICE FOOD PREPARING UTENSIL Ralph N.Kircher, West Bend, Wis., assignor to West Bend Aluminum Company, WestBend, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application January 10, 1940,Serial No. 313,197 3 Claims. (01. 146-172) Thisinvention relates to animprovement in food-preparing utensils of the type designed for ricingpotatoes, crushing fruits, or similarly preparing other kinds of food.

The present invention is in the nature of an improvement in that type offood-preparing utensil which forms the subject matter of the applicationof Robert H. Wentorf for Food preparing utensils," filed June 29, 1938,Serial No. 216,560, and assigned to the assignee of the presentapplication.

The object of the invention is to provide a food-preparing utensil whichhas all of the advantages of the type of structure which is disclosed inthe application mentioned above, and which in addition simplifies theconstruction, reduces the cost of manufacture thereof, renders it easierto clean, and facilitates the twirling of the pestle in the receptacleas well as improves its action.

Another object is to provide a utensil of this character which is soconstructed and organized as to provide two sets of interengageablerolling surfaces between the lower end of the pestle and a socket at thelower end of the pestle which so coact as to make it easier to hold thepestle down and constrain it to its proper movement, and also to extrudethrough the Perforated lower end of the socket any material finding itsway to points below the lower end of the pestle.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of theconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will behereinafter more fully described and particularly. pointed out in theappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forminga part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan showing a receptacle and stand of afood-preparing utensil embodying the present invention, the pestle beingomitted.

Figure 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in transversevertical section, taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing how the pestleand receptacle are interrelated in use.

Figure 3 is a detailed view in elevation of the pestle; and

Figure 4 is a view thereof in bottom plan.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that a food-preparing utensilembodying the present invention comprises generally a receptacle R, apestle designated at P, and suitable support for the receptacle, whichmay be a suitable stand, or may be provided by supporting legs L. The

receptacle R comprises a body portion I having the general form of aninverted cone, and having its conical portion provided with a suitablenumber of apertures l0 through which the food is expressed.

The upper end of the receptacle has an imperforated cylindrical portionH which may be provided with a rolled bead 12 around its upper edge, thebead being rolled about a reinforcing wire l3. The reinforcing wire I3may be extended and shaped to provide a handle l4.

Where the receptacle is supported by legs L an attaching bracket l5 foreach leg is provided and is riveted or otherwise suitably secured to theoutside of the cylindrical portion i 1. Each of said brackets l5 has twovertical sockets, designated at l6, which are designed to receive theupper ends of the side members ll of its leg L. As illustrated, the legsL may be constituted of wire stock, which is sufiiciently stiff andstrong and bent into approximately U shape. To the bight or body portionof each U-shaped leg a cushioning pad or sleeve I8 is secured.

Integral with the lower end of the receptacle I0 is a socket, designatedgenerally at 20, and which is constituted of a cylindrical peripheralwall 2|, which may be imperforate, and a perforated body wall 22 whichis integral with the cylindrical wall 2| and horizontally disposed.

The pestle P may be conveniently made of wood, and has a body portion25, a reduced neck 26, a knob or handle 21, and at its lower end isprovided with a double beveled stud-like extension 28. The doublebeveled or double tapered stud-like extension 28 has its surface definedby the frustums of two cones, one tapered or conical surface beingdesignated at 29 and the other at 30. The lower tapered or conicalsurface 30 merges into the flat lower end 3| of the pestle.

In the use of the device the pestle is disposed in the receptacle R inthe manner illustrated in Figure 2, and when so disposed lies over at anangle, or is inclined with respect to the vertical axis of thereceptacle. The angle of taper of the surface 29 is equal to the angleof inclination of the pestle so that when the pestle is in operativeposition, the portion of the tapered surface engaged with thecylindrical peripheral wall of the socket is vertically disposed and isin rolling contact with such wall. Moreover, the angle at which thetapered surface 3|] is disposed is such that in the operative positionof the pestle this tapered surface 30 is horizontally disposed andflatly engages the bottom wall 22 of the socket 20 and is in rollingengagement therewith. This 55 particular arrangement of taperedsurfaces, and the Way in which they are interrelated with the socket ofthe receptacle, distributes the load and the wear, not only on twosurfaces of the pestle, but on two surfaces of its socket, and due tothe way in which the engaging surfaces are related, it is veryconvenient for the operator to exercise complete control over the pestleand to readily impart the desired movements thereto.

While I have shown and described one construction in which the inventionmay be advantageously embodied, it is to be understood that theconstruction shown has been selected merely for the purpose ofillustration or example, and that various changes in the size, shape,and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A utensil of the character described comprising an upright receptaclehaving a perforated body portion of inverted conical form, said bodyportion having a socket at the lower .end thereof including a verticallydisposed cylindrical peripheral wall and a horizontally disposed bottomwall, and a pestle cooperable with the receptacle and inclined withrespect to the vertical axis thereof to have rolling contact with thebody portion of the receptacle in its operative position, said pestlehaving a stud-like extension at its lower end, said stud-like extensionhaving upper and lower tapered surfaces, the angle of taper of the upperof said surfaces being equal to the angle of inclination of the pestlewith respect to the vertical axis of the receptacle whereby when saidstucl-like extension and said socket are interfitted the said uppertapered surface is vertically disposed and in rolling contact with thevertical cylindrical peripheral wall of the socket, the lower taperedsurface being in rolling contact with the bottom of the socket.

2.'A utensil of the character described comprising an upright receptaclehaving a perforated body portion of inverted conical form, said bodyportion having a socket at the lower end thereof including a cylindricalperipheral wall and a bottom Wall, and a pestle cooperable with thereceptacle and inclined with respect to the vertical axis thereof so asto be in rolling contact with the body portion of the receptacle in itsoperative position, said pestle having a double tapered stud-likeextension at its lower end, one of said tapered surfaces being inrolling contact with the peripheral wall of the socket and the other inrolling contact with the bottom wall thereof.

3. A utensil of th character described comprising an upright receptaclehaving a perforated body portion of inverted conical form, said bodyportion having a socket at the lower end thereof including a cylindricalperipheral wall and a bottom wall, and av pestle cooperable with thereceptacle and inclined with respect to the vertical axis thereof so asto be in rolling contact with the body portion of the receptacle in itsoperative position, said pestlehavinga double tapered stud-likeextension at its lower end, one of said tapered surfaces being inrollingcontact with the peripheral wall of the socket and the other inrolling contact with the bottom wall thereof, said bottom beingperforated whereby the pestle extrudes through the perforations in thebottom Wall any particles of material that find their way to pointsbelow the lower end of the pestle.

RALPH N. KIRCHER.

